Should I Outsource SEO to an Agency?

Increasing search traffic to your website is a great goal, but that’s only a portion of your SEO strategy. The harder task comes with attracting relevant search engine traffic. You need to ensure that your visitors are likely to become new leads if you want to increase sales.

If your business team is not well-versed in the rules of search engine optimization (SEO), then you might want to outsource SEO to an agency.

What is SEO Outsourcing?

SEO Outsourcing is when an organization hires an external agency to perform ongoing search engine optimization services. Outsourcing can also be a solution for digital marketing agencies that don’t perform SEO in-house or looking to reseller SEO services to their clients.

Should I Outsource SEO?

Some business owners “wing it” to save money only to be overwhelmed by the ever-changing SEO landscape and the Google search algorithm. It’s a trap many fall into.

On the surface, plugging long tail keywords into your website sounds straightforward. However, Google will penalize you for overusing keywords or trying to manipulate their algorithm – AKA keyword stuffing.

So staying out of danger is only part of the battle. What about the other 200 search engine ranking factors needed for actually ranking? Are you following any of those or just treading water?

Again, SEO requirements change regularly, so trying to keep up with industry changes AND run your business at the same time is not an easy endeavor.

A few helpful tips to keep in mind before you outsource SEO:

1. Your is new leads not just #1 rankings

An SEO strategy is only effective when it helps to attract potential buyers. It’s not only to gain a #1 ranking in Google search results.

The real goal is to outsource to SEO professionals that focus on generating new leads not just new traffic. Again, what good will traffic do if it’s not your target audience nor convert on your lead offers.

You’ll want to work with an SEO outsourcing company with a big track record. Simply, outsourcing SEO to any agencies won’t guarantee success and is risky. BTW – don’t get sold on non-relevant, low converting, low volume, Google rankings that won’t always help attract “your” prospective customers. It’s a big red flag for the agency’s lack of knowledge.

2. SEO is an ongoing effort, not a one-time job

Since Google’s search algorithms are changing daily, it’s not enough to just clean up some of your web copy and call it a day. Many professional agencies provide ongoing SEO service, measurement, and research. This will ensure that your company’s content never falls behind in the digital landscape. When you outsource SEO, look for a company that is knowledgeable in all facets of marketing, particularly social media platforms. The SEO professional should first review and analyze your website then develop an ongoing SEO plan.

3. Hire local Google partners for SEO

If you were trying to survive in the wilderness, you’d probably want Bear Grylls by your side. You can apply this principle to your SEO… why not hire an agency skilled in SEO?

Now I’m saying cheap SEO outsourcing to India. Really this is always a bad idea and extremely risky – sorry India SEOs. There are literally thousands of self-proclaimed “expert” SEO agencies to outsource to in India, Philippines and even on Fiverr. I’m here to protect you from making a big mistake.

4. Hire someone for your in-house team

If you still don’t want to outsource, hire someone permanently for your marketing team. This person would always be close, growing with your company’s services, products, policies, and culture. This is a timesaving solution that eliminates the need to constantly brief an SEO agency about your company’s philosophy and vision. This option makes it easy for you to always oversee your company’s SEO marketing and have a hand in the process.

Conclusion

It is important to educate yourself about SEO techniques and practices, especially when choosing an agency. No matter how you do it, optimizing your content for SEO will attract the customers you’re looking for.

Eric Melillo is the Founder & CEO of COFORGE | A Growth Agency | HubSpot Silver Partner | Helping SMBs Grow Better using Inbound & HubSpot. Eric is also a lover of family, friends, and life. He enjoys good health, Tae Kwon-Do and discovering the most influential marketing trends.

Eric Melillo

Eric Melillo is the Founder & CEO of COFORGE | A Growth Agency | HubSpot Silver Partner | Helping SMBs Grow Better using Inbound & HubSpot. Eric is also a lover of family, friends, and life. He enjoys good health, Tae Kwon-Do and discovering the most influential marketing trends.